Be Meek and Humble to Overcome the hatred of the World: Pope

Vatican City, 04 May 2013: We always remain meek and humble to defeat the flattery and hatred of the world, said Pope Francis during his Mass on Saturday morning, in the chapel of his St. Martha residence. In his homily, the Pope focused on the struggle between the love of Christ and the hatred of the prince of this world. He explained that the way of the Christians is the way of Jesus and why we should not be afraid of being persecuted. Among the faithful was a group of Pontifical Swiss Guards, who attended the Mass, concelebrated by Msgr. Lorenzo Baldisseri, secretary of the Congregation for Bishops.

"The way of the Christians is the way of Jesus. If we want to be followers of Jesus, there is no another way except the one he showed, the Pope said. And one of the consequences of following his path is to invite the hatred of the world, and the prince of this world. The world would love its own. 'but I have chosen you, from the world'. By choosing us, Jesus has rescued us from the world, and that is pure grace! With his death and resurrection, Jesus has redeemed us from the power of the world, from the power of the devil, from the power of the prince of this world, elaborated the Pope. And the origin of hate is this, explained the Pontiff, we are saved. And the Prince of the world who does not want us to be saved, hates us."

There are "many persecuted Christian communities in the world - noted the Pope sadly – today than earlier days. Why is it? asked the Pope. It is because "the spirit of the world hates", he said.

"with the prince of this world you cannot dialogue. That is clear! But today, dialogue is necessary for peace. It is an attitude that we must have among us to feel, to understand. Dialogue comes from charity and love. Only respond with the Word of God that defends us, while the world hates us. Then the Pontiff explained how little by little we fall into big trap of the Prince of this world. It always begins with a pious lie: 'Do it, do it, do: there is no problem. It’s a flattering, and doing so we fall into the trap.

The Lord, continued Pope Francis, asks us to remain like sheep, because he can defend you if you fall into the hands of the wolves.

You may ask the question: 'Father, what is the weapon to defend against these seductions? The weapon is the same weapon of Jesus, the Word of God, and then humility and meekness. These are the weapons that the prince of this world and the spirit world does not tolerate, because his proposals are proposals for worldly power, vanity and riches.

The Pontiff concluded with the invocation to the Virgin Mary to "help us to become meek and humble in the way of Jesus.Source: VR Sedoc